Country Highlight Category
11.25.2019
Partners International and The Holistic Tribal Mission of Peru, also known as MINAP, offer holistic programs that meet the physical and spiritual needs of indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Among these programs is the Medical Outreach program that serves indigenous people in need of medical care.
Remote communities in the Peruvian Amazon do not have access to proper medical care in their communities. Patients and their families must travel to the city of Pucallpa for medical treatment. The government in Peru subsidizes medical services. Still, there are never enough doctors or resources available at the government-funded facility to meet the needs of all the people. Many are often turned away and cannot afford private care. Patients choose to wait at the medical hostel, hoping for treatment.
Roberto Ramirez is a Christian from the Mastanawa people group. While gathering wood in the Amazon, Roberto injured his spine. With no medical care in his community, Roberto was taken to Pucallpa to receive treatment for his severe injury. For an entire year, Roberto was unable to walk and remained at the hostel. He nearly lost all hope of his purpose and whether he would ever walk again.
Roberto started receiving visits from MINAP missionaries, and their acts of kindness softened his heart. They reminded Roberto of Christ’s love for him, despite his difficult season.
“I am grateful for God and MINAP missionaries,” shared Roberto. “The missionaries brought me hope and kind words. They also provided me with medicine. God is good. He has healed me and forgiven my sins. As Christians, we go through many trials. My trial is my spinal injury. I can barely walk and sometimes I still experience intense pain. There were moments where I felt discouraged and thought I would never receive healing. In these times, my friends at MINAP remind me of God’s promises, and it has made a huge impact on my life.”
Today, Roberto continues his walk with Christ and wants to study so he can preach to his people. While some patients at the medical hostel are believers, like Roberto, others are hearing about the eternal hope of Christ for the very first time. MINAP makes it possible for indigenous people in the Amazon to get the medical care they need while having the opportunity to draw closer to God.